Tag Archives: etsy

There’s headlines floating all over the interwebs right now on how Sellers on Etsy are protesting their latest change of policies. I’m betting 50% of my readers are saying, “What’s Etsy?” 45% are probably asking, “What policy change?” And the last group is packing up their profiles from Etsy and moving on.

Let’s start at what I once knew. Etsy was the place for all things handmade, vintage, or supplies to make handmade. An online community where I could go and buy fantastic supplies to make a knitted sweater, then turn around and sell said sweater, then take those profits and buy that vintage birdcage that I had always wanted. The American dream gone global, sort of speak.

But there were/are problems in the Etsy world. You had people reselling junk that was neither vintage, handmade, nor a supply. You had people selling things they never even touched, known as drop shipping. The problems kept growing, and growing, and growing. Drop in the word, “bubble necklace” in an Etsy search, and you’ll get a great example.

To fast forward to the latest issue over in Etsy world, and you have the Ceo stepping up in a town hall meeting to announce that Etsy sellers may now hire out to get their goods made, and they may also use drop shipping. In short I could technically send my knitted scarf design to China (no offense any oriental readers), hire a sweatshop to make hundreds of them, and have them ship the scarfs directly to you… never again having to touch them myself, while still calling my shop Handmade. I’d like to go on and on about the other problems this causes, the treatment of sellers, and so forth… but I’d like to keep this post somewhat short, as I actually DO have HANDMADE SCARVES to HAND KNIT, and those take time, lots of precious time. 😉

Now we’re at the downfall of this announcement for Etsy. Mass-produced versus handmade, and the Etsy name getting more tarnished than the senate. Those sellers who can afford to leave the venue are, they’re taking off to sites like Zibbet.com, Tictail.com, Indiemade, and more. Those of us who can’t afford to leave are left without the clout those big stores carried, and are running into customer after customer who want Ebay deals. Then there’s the buyers who can’t find homemade/handmade goods were they used to be the forefront. You have buyers unknowingly buying from mass producers. And buyers who are just simply turned off from the whole deal.

And it’s all a catch 22. To get a large company like Etsy to hear you, you have to hit them in the wallet. BUT that means hurting the hundreds of TRUE handmade, vintage, and supply shops who have been working their butts off to build their shops, and have been following every rule since day one. So I’m not asking you to leave Etsy off your shopping list this holiday season. I’m asking you to leave cheap, imported, mass produced JUNK off your list, and to buy handmade! When shopping on Etsy do a search of the item you’re wanting to buy in a new window/tab. If you see the same image in multiple shops, it’s probably mass produced. If you see a price that’s too good to be true, it’s not handmade. If the shop has 5,000 listings, and 10,000 sales, and 100 of each item in stock… yeah, it’s not handmade. (that one is different for supplies, they can pump out huge numbers) And even when you run into a shop on Etsy offering an IPhone for a super great deal, DON’T BUY IT!!! Go to Ebay for your deals, don’t encourage the Etsy CEO’s to ruin handmade businesses anymore! (Etsy makes a profit on every listing a shop owner lists, AND a profit on every item we sell)

When in doubt, ask if something is real. Many of us true Handmade “artist” on Etsy have connections to every kind of maker out there, if you can’t tell if it’s real or mass-produced, we’d all be happy to figure it out for you.

Make a real change in our economy and help support the little guys. It makes a huge difference when you do!

I’m in the middle of stepping up my “goods” on Etsy. By stepping up I mean my arms are falling off from working on full sized blankets, cable knitted scarves, and snazzy things that take lots of work. And all of this takes oddles of time.

While I’m taking oddles of time to make all of these detailed, anal retentive type objects, I’m working away in the mornings on basic items to fill my shop. Because you can’t sell things if there’s nothing to sell, and yada yada yada.

And this is where the Free Stuffs come in. While all this madness is going on I need to still consider promotions, getting my name out there and stuffs. ‘Cept between everything else I seem to be running out of “free” time in which to promote. So I’m turning to you, and waving free stuffs in front of your nose. 😉

I have these:

That are getting ready to enter my shop soon. They are 100% cotton, hand knit, workout/yoga headbands. Less than 2 inches wide, these are more like the nylon ones you’d buy at the store, than the big thick ear warmers you normally see. The cotton is gentle on hair, and absorbs sweat, while fully washable. The cinch part can go on the top of your head, or at the back of your head, depending on your tastes.

I’m looking for a few bloggers who’d like to try one out in the color of their choice, then blog them up, and possibly (possibly meaning reviews and blogging them up with no giveaway is fine too) give one away to their readers. You don’t personally need to pick one out for you! It can be for your daughter, grand daughter, whomever.

We’re just going to go ahead and ignore the fact that I didn’t post anything yesterday. Only because in actual reality, I did write, several things in fact, I just declined to push that pesky “publish” button.

Honestly, I wrote tons, tons and tons… on facebook chat. It counts.

I was simply having a Monday, disguised as a Wednesday type of day. I mean really, my day started with everyone waking up while it was still my “momma’s quiet coffee time”, then my mom called to inform me she had my dog’s ashes, then our “basement/farm” cat never came back from his nightly “romp” (he came back this morning), then I got a huge case of “nobodycaresaroundhereandI’mprettysuremychoresaregoingtoeatmealive”.

As I was crying it out on chat with a dear friend, I hear mad honking outside. I love how the UPS guy always drives through at the toddler’s nap time, and has to blast his dang horn to announce his arrival. So he pulls out a box, with a florist name on the side. And I seriously thought when a certain friend sent me a note about something special heading my way, that this was that, and I was seriously surprised.

So I lug the box inside, and open it up, to find my husband’s name on the card… and then I lost it. The day crumbled me into a mushy pile of tears.

I promptly grab my phone and text my husband, “You big jerk head.” Then I went to take a picture of the flowers, to send to him with a note on how his timing was perfect and made me cry…

But my phone died. Like dead died. Like wouldn’t function to save my life. All he got was, “You big jerk head.”

Yup. No joke. That was my day. Granted, hilarious by that point.

An hour later my phone was up and running, with a text, “That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.” And by that point I was laughing hysterically, because there was nothing else to do.

Yes you may laugh at me now. 😉

And because obviously I need a new phone before I start some sort of world war with incomplete text, I’m having a “Day Before Chocolate Goes on Sale Day” Sale over at my Etsy shop, White Goat Ranch. Use the code, “BEMINE” and get 15% off of your entire order! Today only! (Counts on Custom orders placed today as well!!!)

That’s me, at least for today, shameless and such. And I’m fine with it.

This is 100% a plug… for myself, in part of my scheme for world domination. You see, I’ve already taken over Alaska, New York, Florida, California, Ohio and beyond… but I need to reach your town!

How am I taking over?

With knitting, crocheting, and soaps of course.

So go now, show some love. Visit my shop at http://www.whitegoatranch.etsy.com and marvel over my creations. And be kind because I’m still figuring all of this out, and my camera died. Humph. While you’re there toss me some favorite love. It helps.

And no, that’s not it! You’re not done yet! Then I need you to dash on over to facebook and “like” me over at http://www.facebook.com/WhiteGoatRanch . And join in on the conversation and such. (That’s where you’ll find coupons and stuffs)

There’s not a lot on there yet, but there are lots of projects I’m slaving away at, that should be ready soon.

Also I’m accepting custom orders for most knit and crochet projects to be ready for Christmas, for two more weeks. (think of all those pins you have for hats, scarves and such that you never have time to make)

And because I am who I am, I have to insert that I am not asking my readers to run out and buy stuff, unless you want to. I don’t expect any of you to make a purchase, and will hold no hard feelings if it’s just not your thing. Trust me, I get it. And I get how thin people’s wallets are.

The time has come for this girl to make some cash. I’ll spare you the details, and the so-on’s, and such. It’s either I bring in some money, or I kiss my dino-dial-up-interwebs good-bye. Which we know I just can’t do.

So it was suggested that I take my awesome Martha Skillz, and take over the interwebz hand-made market.

But when you have so many mad skillz, where does one begin?

I might have a few ideas rolled up my smock sleeves, but I would love your opinions…

What handmade items would you be most interested in buying online? (and why)

Where would you be most likely to buy from? (ideas: website, blog, etsy, ebay, craigslist, etc)